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It can also be acute, meaning sudden and short term, or it can also be chronic and persistent. Severity can be rated on a scale from 1 to 10, or from mild to severe.

Injury sustained during a sports game or in an accident is normally acute and traumatic. The person can often identify the cause.

Other causes, such as peripheral arterial disease (PAD), tend to build up over time, although the person may
be able to pinpoint the onset of pain.

Some sports injuries build up over time, such as repetitive strain injuries and stress fractures. Traumatic injuries can also become long-term, or chronic, problems if the individual does not rest or seek treatment.

It is important to be aware of what was happening before and around the time that leg pain emerged, as this can help decide when to seek medical treatment.

Causes

Leg pain can mostly be classified as neurological, musculoskeletal, or vascular, or these can overlap.

Musculoskeletal pain: Examples are crepitus, recognized by a popping or cracking sound in the knee, or arthritis, an autoimmune disease that affects the joints in the hip, knee, or ankle. If a muscle, tendon, or ligament is strained, for example, during a fall, any pain will be musculoskeletal.

Neurological pain: Conditions include restless legs syndrome, in which the legs twitch uncontrollably, neuropathy, or nerve damage, and sciatic nerve pain. Neurological pain can be present even when resting.

Here we will look at some of these in more detail.

Types

Different causes of leg pain can have similar symptoms. Getting a correct diagnosis increases the chances of receiving appropriate treatment, if necessary. Identifying the symptoms and their onset can help find an appropriate diagnosis.

Leg cramps, or Charley horses

Charley horses are transient episodes of pain that can last for several minutes. The muscle, usually the calf at the back of the lower leg, tightens and goes into spasm.

Cramps are more common at night and in older people. An estimated 1 in 3 people aged over 60 years experience night cramps, and 40 percent experience over 3 attacks per week.

PAD

PAD can cause pain in the leg due to poor circulation. Without treatment, it can be fatal. The key symptom is intermittent claudication.

Intermittent claudication causes the blood supply to the leg muscles to become restricted. The resulting lack of oxygen and nutrients causes pain.

Claudication involves:

a cramp-like muscle pain during exercise or exertion

pain in the buttocks, thighs, calves, and feet

pain when walking or climbing stairs

The cramps consistently occur after the same walking distances, and they often ease on resting.

DVT

DVT causes one type of leg pain and can become a blood clot on the lung if not quickly treated.

DVT refers to a blood clot in the deep veins of the leg. It can emerge after spending a long time sitting down, for example, on a long-distance flight.

Symptoms include swelling and a hot, painful sensation on one side of the leg. This may only occur when walking or standing up.

The clot may dissolve on its own, but if the person experiences dizziness and sudden shortness of breath, or if they cough up blood, emergency attention is needed.

These could be signs that DVT has developed into a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the lung.

Vascular problems can be serious. Both PAD and DVT can present without symptoms. People whose lifestyle or medical history leaves them prone to vascular problems in the leg should be aware of possible symptoms.

Shin splints

Engaging in intense exertion during sports can lead to different types of injury.

The shin pain cannot be explained by an obvious cause such as a fracture.

Fractures and stress fractures

Heavy pressure, for example, from a fall, can lead to fractures. Some fractures are easily and immediately visible, with severe bruising, swelling, and deformation. These normally receive urgent medical attention.

Stress fractures are small fractures that can result from repetitive stresses sustained during sports, often when the intensity of activity increases too quickly.

There is no single injury, and the fractures are small. The pain may start at an earlier stage during each exercise session, and eventually become present all the time.

Popliteus tendinitis

This produces knee pain during downhill running. It is caused by inflammation of the popliteus tendon, which is important for knee stability.

Hamstring strain

Acute trauma can lead to sprains and strains. A sprain refers to a stretching or tearing. A strain is an injury to the muscles or tendons.

Often associated with running, a hamstring strain can lead to acute pain in the rear of the thigh muscle, usually due to a partial tear.

Sprains and strains usually develop because of inadequate flexibility training, overstretching, or not warming up before an activity. Continuing to exercise while injured increases the risk.

Compartment syndrome

When an injury to the leg results in swelling, dangerous levels of pressure in the muscles can lead to acute or chronic compartment syndrome.

The swelling causes pressure to build up until the blood supply to muscle tissue is cut off, depleting the muscles of oxygen and nourishment. The pain may be unexpectedly severe, considering the injury.

In severe cases, early pain may be followed by numbness and paralysis. Permanent muscle damage can result.

Sciatic nerve pain

Sciatica happens when pressure is put on a nerve, often in the spine, leading to pains that run down the leg from the hip to the foot.

It can happen when a nerve is "pinched" in a muscle spasm or by a herniated disk.

Long-term effects include strain on other parts of the body as the gait changes to compensate for the pain.

Exercise and a healthful diet are beneficial. Those who have a treatment plan for a cardiovascular or other condition should follow it carefully.

Leg pain has many different causes, and the symptoms often overlap. If they persist, worsen, or make life difficult, the individual should see a doctor.

A differential diagnosis strategy can help rule out inappropriate causes, narrow down the possibilities, and provide timely intervention.

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